The Sideline Stories platform creates an outlet for student-athletes across the Northeast-10 Conference to tell their own stories in their own words. In similar fashion to the popular Players' Tribune, Sideline Stories will allow NE10 student-athletes a space to pitch, craft and tell stories that are most important to them.
Submissions are being accepted from student-athletes competing on any intercollegiate varsity team at NE10 member institutions. Click here if you would like to share your story!
Graduate student Paola Soto-Burgos, an outside hitter on the American International College volleyball team, shared her experience of overcoming health-related adversity to make an impact in the lives of other people.
This is her story:
Being a student-athlete in the Northeast-10 Conference is about more than just competing it’s about resilience, growth, and using our voices to create positive change. My journey as an athlete took an unexpected turn when I faced one of the biggest challenges of my life one that had nothing to do with the game I love.
In 2018, I found a tumor in my breast. As an athlete, I was used to dealing with physical pain and pushing through adversity, but this was different. The moment I discovered it, fear and uncertainty took over. What if it was cancer? What if I couldn’t continue playing volleyball? What if my life changed forever? These questions consumed me as I prepared for my first surgery, waiting for answers I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear.
Thankfully, when the results came back, the tumor was benign. I was relieved beyond words, but my journey wasn’t over. In 2020, I found another tumor. Facing surgery for the second time was a reminder of how unpredictable life can be. It was a difficult period, both physically and emotionally, but through it all, I held onto one thought: I wanted to turn this experience into something meaningful.
That’s when I founded the Comfort Hearts Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting breast cancer patients by providing handmade heart pillows that offer physical comfort and emotional support during treatment and recovery. Since 2019, I have been donating these heart pillows to hospitals in Puerto Rico, making sure that patients undergoing treatment know they are not alone.
At first, Comfort Hearts was just an idea, a way to express my gratitude for the second chance I had been given. But as I began sharing my story, I realized how many people connected with it. It wasn’t just about me anymore; it was about the larger fight against breast cancer and the importance of spreading awareness.
Being a student-athlete gave me a platform to amplify this cause. Alongside my volleyball team, I helped organize campus events to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. We participated in Walk for a Cure, and hosted volleyball games to support those affected by the disease. My teammates became more than just teammates; they became a support system, standing by me in my mission to make a difference.
One of the most powerful moments in my journey came when I met a breast cancer patient in 2019 who had received one of our Comfort Hearts pillows. She told me how much it meant to her how something as simple as a heart-shaped pillow could provide comfort during one of the hardest times in her life. That moment solidified everything for me. It reminded me that our impact as athletes isn’t just measured by wins and losses but by how we use our voices and actions to uplift others.
Volleyball has always been a huge part of my life, and for a moment, I was afraid it might be taken away from me. But through this experience, I found a new purpose. I learned that being a student-athlete isn’t just about personal achievement; it’s about the connections we make, the lives we touch, and the positive change we can inspire.
This journey has made me stronger, more grateful, and more determined than ever to keep fighting not just on the court, but for a cause bigger than myself. My story is just one of many, but I hope it serves as a reminder that no matter what challenges we face, we have the power to turn hardship into hope and adversity into action.
Gallery: (3-13-2025) Sideline Stories - Paola Soto-Burgos
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 11 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
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